The field of this invention relates to an electrical connector in the form of an electrical jumper assembly for establishing an electrical conductive path between a pair of spaced elongated electrical conducting members.
A simplified definition of a bus, in regard to electronics, is a conductor or group of conductors which serves as a common connection for two or more circuits. Frequently, buses are usually constructed to be in the form of a bar, hence the term "bus bar".
Buses can be of any given size. Usually one side of a bus bar includes some type of an electrical circuitry, such as a printed circuit board. Protruding from the opposite side of the printed circuit board are a plurality of spaced-apart male electrical conductors in prong form which are frequently referred to as terminal posts.
A single bus bar can utilize a few terminal posts, or a substantial number of terminal posts. In most instances, the spacing between directly adjacent terminal posts is identical.
It is frequently desirable to establish an electrical connection between one terminal post and another. In the past, such electrical connections have taken numerous forms, such as, for example, a bare wire being wrapped onto each terminal post and extending therebetween. Also, numerous type of clips have been previously used.
In recent years, printed circuit boards and bus bars have become smaller in size, and because of this small size, it is necessary to utilize a small sized clip. Such a clip must be constructed in a manner to avoid electrical shorts and yet must provide a positive path for the electrical energy which is conducted through the clip.
Additionally, because a substantial number of such electrical connectors within any given installation may be utilized, and there being a widespread usage requirement for such clips, it is desirable that these electrical connectors be constructed in a manner to minimize cost of manufacture. Literally millions of such clips may be used in any given year. A savings on the manufacturing cost of a mere tenth of a cent per clip amounts to a substantial amount of money in any given year.